Ukraine says Russia has fired more than 100 drones overnight despite attempts from Kyiv’s allies to get Moscow to begin a 30-day ceasefire and the prospect of direct talks proposed by Russia this week in Turkiye’s Istanbul.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday welcomed the possibility of United States President Donald Trump’s participation in talks with Russia in Turkiye on Thursday and said he hoped Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not “evade the meeting”. He added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “can indeed host [the] highest-level meeting”.
In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said, “Moscow has remained silent all day regarding the proposal for a direct meeting. A very strange silence”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said earlier that Russia is “completely ignoring” a 30-day ceasefire proposed by Ukraine and European powers that was to have begun on Monday,
Ukrainian air defences destroyed 55 of 108 drones that Russia had launched since 11pm (20:00 GMT) on Sunday, the air force said in a statement on Monday, the day the ceasefire proposed by Kyiv and its European allies to Russia was to begin .
The attacks also included 30 simulator drones that were lost along the way without hitting anything, the air force said. Drones were shot down in the east, north, south and central parts of Ukraine, it added.
One person was wounded and residential buildings were damaged in the southern region of Odesa, its military administration said. The attacks also damaged railway infrastructure and wounded a train driver in the eastern region of Donetsk.
Ukrainian national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia said “ceasefire proposals are being ignored, and the enemy continues attacks on railway infrastructure.”
Ceasefire calls, proposal of direct talks
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Putin was serious about trying to find peace at direct talks with Ukraine that he has proposed in Turkiye but could say no more about the talks after Kyiv demanded Putin himself attend.
Sybiha, speaking in London at a meeting with several of his European counterparts, said Russia continues to reject the full and lasting ceasefire proposed to begin on Monday. He insisted Moscow is intent on prolonging the war instead of seeking peace.
On a visit to Kyiv on Saturday, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom called on Russia to agree to an unconditional ceasefire from Monday to allow for peace talks – a proposal they said was backed by the United States.
Putin on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on Thursday without specifically addressing the European call but criticising “ultimatums” and “anti-Russian rhetoric”.
“We do not exclude that during these talks we will be able to agree on some new ceasefire,” Putin added.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Russia and Ukraine to come together “as soon as possible” to start a ceasefire before the proposed talks in Istanbul.
Insisting that a ceasefire should take effect first, Zelenskyy later said he would be prepared to meet Putin in Turkiye – but did not say whether he would still attend if Russia refused the truce proposal.
Zelenskyy’s response came after Trump said in a social media post that Ukraine should agree to Putin’s proposal for direct talks “immediately”.
European leaders, however, reacted with scepticism to Putin’s proposal. French President Emmanuel Macron warned that he was merely trying “to buy time”.
“An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations, by definition,” Macron told reporters as he stepped off a train in the Polish city of Przemysl on his return from Ukraine.
Germany’s government said on Monday that European countries will start preparing new sanctions on Russia unless it starts abiding by the 30-day ceasefire by the end of the day.
The European ministers meeting in the UK for “critical” talks on “repelling Russian aggression” were expected to announce further sanctions targeting those backing Russia’s invasion.
